Method and system for importing and exporting assessment project related data

Abstract

A system of hardware and software provides a systematic and systemic method for performing assessment of the effectiveness of different levels within an institution. The system includes template driven definitions that span multiple tiers of hierarchically arranged operating units within the institution thereby providing flexibility and customization to handle a user-definable model of the institution's organization. In particular, the assessment management system may share data in a format that is importable by other management systems. Sharing of data does not necessarily mean the concurrent sharing of data but rather that the data is exported in a format that is transportable to another system. Portions of an assessment project may be shared in this way with other institutions even if the organization levels and other operating units are not the same between the two institutions.

1. A method for sharing data related to an assessment project of a multi-level institution, the method comprising the steps of:
 developing, using a processor, at least a portion of the assessment project, based on input received from one or more users, within a first instantiation of a first assessment management system; and 
 exporting the portion of the assessment project in a format importable by a second assessment management system, 
 wherein the first assessment management system is a first instantiation of a first computer-based assessment system and the second assessment management system is a second instantiation of a second computer-based assessment system, 
 wherein the portion of the assessment project comprises at least one of:
 a third party standard associated with an accreditation body; 
 a set of assessment objectives associated with an accreditation body; 
 one or more templates associated with an accreditation body; and 
 one or more program objectives associated with an accreditation body, and a set of courses aligned with those program objectives. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the portion of the assessment project includes the third party standard. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the set of assessment objectives is hierarchically arranged. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more templates are customizable. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , wherein the portion of the assessment project includes results data associated with the customizable templates. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the portion of the assessment project includes the one or more program objectives and the set of courses aligned with those program objectives. 
     
     
       7. The method according to  claim 1 , comprising the step of:
 offering for purchase the at least a portion of the assessment project. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the institution comprises at least three organizational levels including multiple levels of operating units. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the at least three organizational levels further comprise a programs level, a course level, and a section level. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the assessment project includes at least one customizable assessment project associated with a node corresponding to one of the levels of the institution. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one customizable assessment project is based on an editable template. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 10 , wherein contents of the editable template are based on a particular organizational level associated with the node associated with the at least one customizable assessment project. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the editable template includes at least one objective form. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one objective form comprises a plurality of different objective forms. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 13 , wherein a set of activity forms is associated with the at least one objective form. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the set of activity forms comprises one or more different activity forms. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 15 , wherein membership in the set of activity forms is based on a particular organizational level associated with the node associated with the at least one customizable assessment project. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 15 , wherein contents of each activity form within the set of activity forms are based on the particular organizational level associated with the node associated with the at least one customizable assessment project. 
     
     
       19. A system for sharing data related to an assessment project of a multi-level institution, comprising:
 a programmable computer configured to:
 develop at least a portion of the assessment project, based on input received from one or more users, within a first instantiation of a first assessment management system; and 
 export the portion of the assessment project in a format importable by a second assessment management system, 
 wherein the first instantiation of the first assessment management system is of a first computer-based assessment system and the second assessment management system is a second instantiation of a second computer-based assessment system, 
 wherein the portion of the assessment project comprises at least one of:
 a third party standard associated with an accreditation body; 
 a set of assessment objectives associated with an accreditation body; 
 one or more templates associated with an accreditation body; and 
 one or more program objectives associated with an accreditation body, and a set of courses aligned with those program objectives. 
 
 
 
     
     
       20. The system of  claim 19 , wherein the portion of the assessment project includes the third-party standard. 
     
     
       21. The system of  claim 19 , wherein the set of assessment objectives is hierarchically arranged. 
     
     
       22. The system of  claim 19 , wherein the one or more templates are customizable. 
     
     
       23. The system of  claim 22 , wherein the portion of the assessment project includes results data associated with the customizable templates. 
     
     
       24. The system of  claim 19 , wherein the portion of the assessment project includes the one or more program objectives and the set of courses aligned with those program objectives. 
     
     
       25. The system of  claim 19 , wherein the at least a portion of the assessment project is offered for sale. 
     
     
       26. The system of  claim 19 , wherein the institution comprises at least three organizational levels including multiple levels of operating units. 
     
     
       27. The system of  claim 26 , wherein the at least three organizational levels further comprise a programs level, a course level, and a section level. 
     
     
       28. The system of  claim 19 , wherein the assessment project includes at least one customizable assessment project associated with a node corresponding to one of the levels of the institution. 
     
     
       29. The system of  claim 28 , wherein the at least one customizable assessment project is based on an editable template. 
     
     
       30. The system of  claim 28 , wherein contents of the editable template are based on a particular organizational level associated with the node associated with the at least one customizable assessment project. 
     
     
       31. The system of  claim 28 , wherein the editable template includes at least one objective form. 
     
     
       32. The system of  claim 31 , wherein the at least one objective form comprises a plurality of different objective forms. 
     
     
       33. The system of  claim 31 , wherein a set of activity forms is associated with the at least one objective form. 
     
     
       34. The system of  claim 33 , wherein the set of activity forms comprises one or more different activity forms. 
     
     
       35. The system of  claim 34 , wherein membership in the set of activity forms is based on a particular organizational level associated with the node associated with the at least one customizable assessment project. 
     
     
       36. The system of  claim 34 , wherein contents of each activity form within the set of activity forms are based on the particular organizational level associated with the node associated with the at least one customizable assessment project. 
     
     
       37. Computer readable media containing programming instructions for sharing data related to an assessment project of a multi-level institution, that upon execution thereof, causes one or more processors to perform the steps of:
 developing at least a portion of the assessment project, based on input received from one or more users, within a first instantiation of a first assessment management system; and 
 exporting the portion of the assessment project in a format importable by a second assessment management system, 
 wherein the first assessment management system is a first instantiation of a first computer-based assessment system and the second assessment management system is a second instantiation of a second computer-based assessment system, 
 wherein the portion of the assessment project comprises at least one of:
 a third party standard associated with an accreditation body; 
 a set of assessment objectives associated with an accreditation body; 
 one or more templates associated with an accreditation body; and 
 one or more program objectives associated with an accreditation body, and a set of courses aligned with those program objectives.